(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surface-area safety means, and to a vehicle provided with such surface-area safety means.
The invention relates to the general technical field of transporting freight in a vehicle, and more particularly in an aircraft. The term “vehicle” should be understood as meaning any type of transport means such as a truck, a car, a train, a boat, or an aircraft. The aircraft may have a fixed wing and/or a rotary wing, such as a rotorcraft, helicopter, hybrid helicopter, or any other type of aircraft.
The present description refers more particularly to aircraft, however the invention is not limited in any way to such a particular application.
(2) Description of Related Art
Managing payloads on board aircraft is of great importance, both in economic terms and in terms of the level of safety of aircraft in flight. Efforts are constantly being made to maximize payloads while improving safety in flight, or in general during a mission carried out by a vehicle transporting freight.
In order to ensure safety in flight for an aircraft, it is necessary to prevent payloads from moving so as to avoid any undesirable movement of payloads during a flight. Furthermore, keeping payloads stationary in a predefined arrangement generally makes it possible to ensure both a degree of balance in the distribution of payloads and an acceptable location for the center of gravity of the loaded aircraft.
In the remote technical field of containers, devices are known that comprise inflatable cushions, straps, and/or tarpaulins for preventing payloads from moving in a container.
In the field of cars, devices are known for pressing pieces of baggage against vertical walls of a trunk or against a floor of the trunk.
In general, devices are known that make use of inflatable bubbles or evacuated bags for holding payloads against a given surface.
Devices are also known seeking to magnetize payloads against a metal floor.
In the field of aviation, and in particular in aircraft of large size, it is possible to arrange payloads on pallets that are fastened to rails.
It is also possible to envisage preventing payloads from moving with the help of a safety surface of the barrier net type.
Each barrier net is then releasably fastened by at least one fastener means to attachment points of the vehicle.
The barrier net may be arranged in a substantially vertical plane so as to compartmentalize an inside space of the vehicle, or in a substantially horizontal plane so as to press the payloads against a floor.
In another option, the barrier net is a circular stretchy net.
In the context of an aircraft, the person skilled in the art often uses the solution comprising a barrier net that presses payloads against a floor or against a vertical partition, the aircraft then moving through three-dimensional space.
More precisely, the person skilled in the art selects a barrier net from a list of barrier nets depending on the volume of the payloads and on the dimensions of the payloads.
Furthermore, in order to guarantee that payloads are held in a given position in flight, the flight manual may require the barrier net to be tensioned to a predetermined tension. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to verify that the applied tension corresponds to the required tension.
The state of the art includes document DE 19 953 615. That document DE 19 953 615 describes attachment means comprising a strap, a first end portion of the strap being fastened to a ring co-operating with a system for attachment to a rail, a second end portion of the strap co-operating with spring clip means. The clip means also include means for adjusting the segment of the strap going from said ring towards the resilient clip means.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,786 describes a barrier net for compartmentalizing a space.
The barrier net is provided with an irregular mesh made using radial straps and circumferential straps.
The radial straps include fastener means. Each fastener means includes specifically a belt having a folded portion extended by an end portion provided with a member for fastening to a structure.
In addition, a break-out segment is stitched firstly to the folded portion and secondly to the end portion. The function of the break-out segment is to allow the folded portion to be deployed under predetermined conditions.
Document EP 1 640 210 describes a barrier net that is tensioned using a fastener tube that cooperates with a belt.
The following documents are also known: DE 20 2005 015336, GB 2 222 357, FR 1 118 606, DE 295 17 776, and EP 1 338 214.